The Ottawa free trader., 1887-10-08

| unproieSslOnal In another part or the
room, II so chanced that Mistress Thank
full and the baron were talking about
themselves; the assembly balls; who was
the prettiest woman in Morristown, and
whether Gen. Washington's attentions to
Mistress Pyne were only perfunctory gal
lantry, or what; and If Lady Washington's
hair was really gray; and If that young
aide e-de-camp, Maj. Van Zandt, were really
in love with Lady W., or whether his at
tentions were only the zeal Of subaltern
in the midst of which sudden gust OF
wind shook the house; and Mr.. Blossom,
going TO the front door, came back with
the announcement that 1t was showing
heavily.
And indeed within that past hour, to
their astonished eyes the whole face OF ma
ture had changed. The moon was gone
the sky hidden in a binding, whirling
swarm of stinging flakes. The wind, Bit
ter and strong, had already fashioned
white feathery drifts upon the threshold,
over the painted benches on the porch,
and against the door posts.
Mistress Thankful and the baron had
walked to the rear door-the baron with
n slight tropical shudder-to view this
meteorological change AS Mistress
Thankful looked over the snowy land
scapc, it seemed to her that all record OF
her past experience had been effaced; her
very footprints of an hour before were lost;
the gray wall on which she leaned was
white and spotless now; even the familiar
farm shed looked dim and strange and
ghostly. Had she been thereS had she seen
the captain? was it all O fancyS She
scarcely knew.
A sudden gust of wind closed the door
behind them with crash, and sent Mis-
tress Thankful, with q slight feminine
scream, forward into the outer darkness.
But the baron caught her by the waist and
saved her from heaven knows what imag-
Unable disaster; and the scene ended in
half hysterical laugh. But the wind then
set upon them both with malevolent
fury; and the baron was, l presume,
Obliged to draw her closer to his side.
They were alone, save for the presence
of those mischievous confederates, nature
and opportunity. In the half obscurity OF
the storm she could not help turning her
mischievous eyes on his. But she was
perhaps surprised to find them luminous,
soft, and, us it seemed to her at that mo-
ment, grave beyond the occasion. An
embarrassment utterly new and singular
seized upon her; and when, rs she half
feared yet half expected, he bent down
and pressed his lips to hers, she was for
moment powerless. But in the next in
stant she boxed his ears sharply and van
ished in the darkness When Mr.. Blossom
opened the door to the baron he was sur
prised to find that gentleman alone, and
still more surprised, when they re-entered
the house, to see Mistress Thankful enter
at the same moment demurely from the
front door
When Mr. Blossom knocked at his
daughters door the next morning it
opened upon her completely dressed, but
withal somewhat pale, and, If the truth
must be told, n little snrly.
"And you were stirring 80 early, Thank
full" he said; "twould have been but
decent to have bidden godspeed to the
IRupSlS,
much concerned at your absence"
Miss Thankful blushed slightly, but an
swered with savage celerity, "And since
when is it necessary that should dance
attendance upon every foreign jack in the
box that may lie at the houseg'
'He has shown great courtesy to you,
mistress, and is gentleman.
Courtesy, indeed'' said Mistress
Thankful.
.Io has not presumods" said Mr.. Bios
som suddenly, bringing his cold gray eyes
, to bear upon his daughters.
"No, no." said Thankful hurriedly,
flaming bright scarlet; "but-nothing.
. But what have you there' a letters'
i. "Ay-from the captain, l warrant,
, said Mr.. Blossom, handing her a three
= cornered bit of paper; "twas left here by
, q camp follower. Thankful" he con
= tinued, with meaning glance, "you will
y, heed my counsel in season. The captain
, , is not meet for such as YOU"
= Thankful suddenly grew pale and con
temptuous again as she snatched the letter
from his hand. When his retiring foot
:, stems were lost on the stairs she regainet
her color, and opened the letter. 1t wa
slovenly written, grievously misspelled
y and read as follows:
"SwEETHEART: A tyranous Act, be
. gotten in Envy and Jealousie, keeps mi
here a prisoner. Last night l was Basel!
: arrested by Servile Hands for that Free
dom of Thought and Expression for which
% | have already Sacrificed so mnch-aye al
that Man hath but love and Honour. Bu
, the End is Near. When for the Mainte
} nance of Power the Liberties Of the Peo
;. pies are subdued by Martial Supremac
~ and the Dictates of Ambition the State
Lost. lie in Vile Bondage here in MOI
5 ristown under charge of Dsrespeck-m
IL that twelyemonth past left home an
10 Respectable Connexions to serve IN
Country. Believe me still your own love
'e albeit in the Power of Tyrants and COZ
n demned it may be to the scaffold.
he "The Messenger is Trustworthy and WI
speed safely to me such as you may delve
ly unto him. The Provender sanktified
SIS ,.o,r uondo and made precious by yr. l0V